Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-24
STAqE AFFAIRS.
The Bill to Extend the Time of Pay
ment Of The Purchase Money on
School Lands Up.
The Br0uth Relief Committee Appeal
to the People 10 Procure Seed for
the Destitute Farmers.
Both Houses Discuss Railway Commission
Blis-A Report in tho JUICE Willis
Case Expected To day.
PAYMENTS on SCHOOL LANDS.

PAYMENTS on SCHOOL LANDS.
Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. Ex-senator Cal
houn, speaking in favor of the bill to ex-
tend the time of the payment OF the pur
chase money on school lands, said that no
title passed from the state to the settler
upon these lands until all the terms of the
purchase were complied with; therefore,
ne believed that so long SIS the settlers
paid up their interest they should be al
lowed to occupy the lands until they be-
came able to pay for them, as he under
stood all the men who were on these
lands were actual settlers.
Senator Houston thought as the statute
OF limitation did not run against the state,
no injury could possibly be done to the
rights of the state by extending the time
for the payment OF the purchase money
on these lands.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION BILL.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the railroad commission bill. Some
minor amendments were made to sections
and of the bill by Senators Gregg and
Burneg that met with some opposition,
but were finally adopted.
Senator Mcdonald then offered to
amend by adding section II, the substance
Of which was to prevent the railroads
from granting free passes and to pay half
of the fiIes on conviction to an informant
He said that he took but little stock in
the idea that seemed 30 oe prevalent il
= bnr I'M ~ o VOC
and the officers of the state could be
bought with free passes, because he did
not believe that sucn was the case
But be had been led to believe from read
ing tbs logical reasoning Of such men as
Charles Francis Adams taat the railroad
added 20 per cent. to the passenger rates
paid by the travelling public to make up
the loss By reasons OF the free passes
given newspaper men, commercial men
and the officers Of the state, sad if such
state Of Affairs did exist and the people
who paid their fare on railroads We're
taxed % per cent. additional to make
coed the amount thai would be lost to
railroads under the psss system he was
in favor Of restricting them from issuing
free passes.
Senator Gregg said he was ore of the
friends of the pill, bus ne did not cater to
the sentiment of those who ranted about
the influence of the passes given by the
railroads to the representatives and
officers OF the state. He would be willing
for every Legislator to come to Austin on
free pass, and it would not lessen his
confidence in their honesty. He then
offered an amendment 10 Senator Med on
AIDS amendment to strike out the clause
referring 10 free passes.
Senator Burgess then offered an amend
ment to strike out that portion CT Sen
ator McDonald's amendment giving
one-half Of the fine on conviction to the
informant. He said he was opposed
to and would always he opposed
10 any law that offered prof to anyone
~ho you'd swear 10 violation OF the
law. This feature, if it should De inccE-
pOrsted IL the bill, would iead to more
violations of all the principles Of pure
laws than II would prove any auxiliary
TO the enforcement OF statutory pro
visions.
Pending the discussion Of this emenG-
ment, the Senate adjourned.
4 SIMILAR BILL IN TIE HOUSE.
While the Senate vas busy amending
the railroad commission till the House
wss engaged in 8 hested discussion over
AIr Bell's (OfC kel substitute to SINH
lar bill introduced in tGat body during
the morning session. Mcssrs S5owaiter,
Tate, Richardson, Camp Gnd Robinson
made fOrciHle 6nd logical speeches.
Mr.. Robinson opposed the Grafton Of
q Tailr al commission. He said that if
the general laws OF the state were INSULT
Gent to remedy the wrongs growing out
of the pooling system of railroads, it
would be impossible for three men to
work successfully and without confusion
When they can only have authority TO
regulate the short haul they will naturally
conflict with the Interstate commerce
commission, whose authority extended t.
the regulation of the long haul system.
He was 10 favor of the Legislature max
ing strict laws to regulate the railroad .,
but not By the plan proposed either by
this bill or its substitute. If the law
fixed rates so that the railroads would be
certain to know what was required of
them, they would obey, for they had too
much sense not to obey. While he op-
posed the commission, he favored some
special law on the subject.
APPEAL FOR THE DRoUTH SUFFERERS.
Governor Ross received to-day the fol-
lowing letter and communication from
the droutb commissioners dated at Cisco,
Texas, February 81, 1887:
Governor l.. s. Ross, Austin, Tex:
SIR-Herewith find card to the public
over the signatures of the Crouta relief
committee. Should you think that its pub
LEGATION will prove beneficial to the people
of this section, and that such an appeal
by the committee is not improper, you
will please give the same to the press for
public information and consideration.
Yours respectfully, II. 2. LEAGUE,
W z. LANE.
To the Public. The committee appointed
by the Governor to distribute the sppro-
priaticn made by the Legislature for the
drouth sufferers, find that in addition to
the necessity for provisions, there is
urgent need for seed to secure crops this
yesr. Therefore, they most earnestly, in
behalf of the people IN the drouth dis
trict, appeal - the literally disposed citi-
zens OF the state to raise ct once fund
10 procure seeds for the farmers. The
committee viii, so fer as possible, see